Mushrooms

I have always been fascinated by mushrooms.
This afternoon Vic and I spent some time taking the following photos.
All of the mushrooms are growing within a few square yards in our back yard.

Mushrooms are unique in so many ways.

I am intrigued by how many varieties there are... they seem endless and probably are. God's creativity has no boundaries.

When I look at God's creations I see that He loves variety, obviously taking pleasure in an abundant assortment , the details of which boggle our minds.

And then I think how much more pleasure He takes in creating each human being that has ever lived in the last 6,000 years unique and unlike any other.

You are so unique that without you , your 'species' would be extinct. God has no back up plan... if you do not fill the place in His eternal purposes that He designed just for you... no one else can.

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I am completely mystified by mushrooms.

The mushrooms in the above photos were not there a few days ago. They have , in fact, never appeared in my back yard before. No one planted them. And they did not 'grow' like normal plants. They were just suddenly there!

They remind me of the secret work of God. How often have you prayed for a situation and see no resolution in sight. Nothing is changing; you see no reason for hope. Then all of a sudden, in a moment, everything is changed -- the answer is there... the miracle is in your hand !!

Or you are praying for the salvation of a loved one.

There seems to be no change in their attitude or their inclination toward God.

No work of God is visible to your eyes.

Then one day, the loved one comes to you and declares that they have changed direction -- that they have been born again and they are now living in the kingdom of God.

Jesus speaks of the work of God being invisible and mystical to our human eyes. He says in

John 3:8 "The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it but cannot tell where is comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit."

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There is a third characteristic of mushrooms that reminds me of God.

Mushrooms can be dangerous .... you have to know your mushrooms. If you do not fear them you can die from carelessly handling or eating the wrong ones.

And yet good mushrooms are delicious and a delightful addition to so many dishes.

So God too must be feared. He is a loving Father to His children but a Holy Judge to the unrighteous. Jesus said, "Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."

People are careful to avoid poisonous mushrooms but are often less careful to make sure that they are in right standing with the Judge before whom every man will one day stand to give an account of his life. (Romans 14:10-12)

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The last thing that mushrooms remind me of is how fragile our life here on this earth is.

Mushrooms spring up overnight and then are gone as quickly.

The older I get the more I realize how very short our life here is... how little time there is to do the things I want to do.

The mushroom, though it mysteriously springs up and then quickly is gone, will spring up again just as mysteriously somewhere else.

And so we too , though this life is fleeting and over so quickly... we have another life waiting that will last all eternity. A life so beautiful and so richly rewarding that we will not give a backward glance to this earthly life we now value so much.

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Rev. 21:4, 22:5 "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying, and there shall be no more pain... for the former things have passed away...... and there shall be no night there. They need no lamp, nor light of the sun for the Lord God gives them light... And they shall reign forever and ever!"